Covid-19 Effects on Businesses Worldwide

Covid-19 has caused chaos all throughout the world since it first appeared in late 2019. Now, over five months later, there are lasting effects that the novel corona virus has caused. Not looking at the virus itself, the corona virus has caused many businesses to stop operations and some to close for good. What can we do to help support these businesses that are closing due to the stay at home order and the fact that they do not fall under the essential business market?

Some of the ways we can help is by supporting our local businesses. Small, family owned businesses are especially hurting during these trying times. They have had to cut staff, move to curbside only pickup, and reduce store hours and operations to follow proper CDC guidelines. One way my family is helping our local businesses, is by ordering dinner to go at least once a week from a local restaurant around us that remains open for curbside ordering. If everyone bought a meal from a local restaurant once a week, it would significantly help these businesses out. We can also continue to donate goods to our healthcare workers on the front line. Donating masks, cleaning products, meals, etc. are just some ideas of donations. We're all in this together, so let's make it count!

On a positive note, covid-19 has caused greenhouse gas emissions and CO2 emissions to decline greatly due to the shutdown of factories worldwide. Will this last? Probably not. We are already seeing an increase within different areas and countries with factories and large companies opening back up for production and business. Hopefully, the economy will bounce back, taking into account the proper precautions to help keep greenhouse emissions to a minimum.

Written by: LeAnn Frank, Intern at Rebecca Adele PR & Events

My Grateful Experience at Rebecca Adele PR & Events

I can’t believe the time has come to be writing my final blog post for Rebecca Adele PR & Events. It doesn’t seem like it was too long ago, that I was nervously arriving for my first day at the office. My nerves were quickly settled by the friendly approach of Google, which is the energetic office dog, and the creative art pieces surrounding my desk.

The days were fast paced, full of many writing assignments and Pinterest boards while music played in the background. Throughout my time at this internship, my confidence in my writing has grown to a point where writing a press release no longer filled my stomach with nerves. I am so grateful for the responsibilities I have had during my internship and being given the chance to develop content for multiple clients each day. Those responsibilities have given me a great narrative in my interviewing process when they ask me the dreaded question, “How does you past experience prepare you for this position?” I answer that question confidently while describing my day-to-day tasks at Rebecca Adele PR & Events. While the learning never stopped, neither did the fun. I thank Becki Silverstein for all the jokes, chats and cute animals that made a day at the office something to look forward to.

I started this internship hoping to learn more about the public relations industry, but what I have gotten out of my time here is much more than just that. Becki Silverstein has given me a new point of view on business, writing, events and everything in between. Working so closely with her has allowed me to see what it takes to have a growing business, which would be a dream of mine someday. 

As I finish up my last weeks at Kent State University, I look back at my education and experience working with Becki as a strong advantage to have during my job searching process!

Written by Mimi Rosenberg of Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Despite the Confusion and Backlash, the Instagram Algorithm Change is Actually a Good Thing

Instagram recently rocked the social media world by announcing that they would no longer show posts in chronological order, and would adopt a newsfeed order similar to Facebook’s. Instead of showing posts in order, the new algorithm will rely on a variety of markers such as relevancy and number of post engagements. 

The intent of this new algorithm is to provide users with a more personalized feed, showing posts that the user is likely to find interesting first.

Instagram’s announcement of this change was met with immediate opposition. A petition even took off on Change.org request Instagram to continue using the chronological feed. The fear stemmed from concern that Instagram’s feed would become too similar to Facebook’s.

In January 2015, Facebook updated its algorithm to include less promotional content from business pages. As a result, Facebook users saw fewer promotional posts from business pages in their newsfeeds. This upset many business owners, as they felt their content was now going to be seen by fewer Facebook users, which had a negative impact on their business.

Although Instagram’s algorithm change seems similar to Facebook’s, there is one very important difference: Instagram does not separate business accounts from personal accounts. Instagram’s algorithm change does not mean that users will see fewer promotional posts from businesses, it only means that users will see content they are likely to consider interesting first in their feeds.

Since the new algorithm takes into account relevancy and popularity, Instagram analytics will become increasingly important with the algorithm change. Businesses should track analytics to determine the effectiveness of posted content and make necessary adjustments to increase interactions and the number of post engagements.

The algorithm change may actually be beneficial to businesses. If you post fabulous content, it will pop up at the top of your followers’ newsfeeds, even if you posted it several hours ago. So now is the time to make sure your businesses’ Instagram content is the best it can be.

Written by Samantha Weisner of Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Snapchat Announces Custom Geofilters!

It’s safe to say most Snapchat users all get a little bummed out when visiting somewhere that doesn’t have a geofilter. With the app’s new feature, this won’t be a problem for much longer!

Snapchat has officially introduced on-demand geofilters, which allows users to create their own custom filters, which will temporarily appear within the app. 

The idea for this feature is to give users the opportunity to create a custom geofilter for any event, from a house party to graduation to a wedding! Though a similar feature has been available for quite some time, the on-demand feature is much more cost efficient and customizable, starting at just $5. Who wouldn’t want to create their own geofilter for their next event?  

The process is pretty simple, too. Users can submit their custom filter on their new online portal in three simple steps: 

1. Design – Users can create their custom filter on their preferred image editor. Snapchat has also provided users with templates compatible with Photoshop and Illustrator to aid in the creative process. 

2.  Map – In this step, users pick a date and time they want the geofilter to be available. 

3. Buy – Finally, users submit their final geofilter and checkout. Once submitted, the Snapchat team will quickly review the design and get it up and running.

Users can choose spaces that are a minimum of 20,000 square feet to a maximum of 5,000,000 square feet – to put into perspective, that’s roughly the size of a business’ office to a few blocks around a city. As far as the run time, the custom filters can stay live from an hour to thirty days. 

On-demand filters are now available to users across the U.S., UK and Canada, and will be available in more countries soon. Be sure to create a geofilter for your next event! 

 Written by Samantha Velotta of Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Using Pinterest Analytics for a Stronger Marketing Campaign

Pinterest, the visually oriented social media site, is no longer just for planning weddings and finding healthy recipes. The social media site is estimated to have approximately 40 million active monthly users and is continuing to grow. A lot of people use the site for pleasure, but, if used strategically, it can be a great marketing tool for businesses.

Marketing your business on Pinterest may seem like a daunting task, but Pinterest analytics makes the process smooth and the results easy to comprehend. For business accounts, Pinterest offers analytics that provide insight into information about the business’ audience, the audience’s preferences, and referral traffic. Specifically, Pinterest analytics provide information on your audience, including specifics like gender and location. Additionally, the analytics also provide information about your audience’s interests, allowing you to tailor your posts to meet the interests of the audience. The analytics can also tell you what pins and boards of yours are most popular and what people save from your website. Additionally, analytics tracks how much traffic your website gets after you add the “Pin It” button to your site.

If your business involves selling products, Pinterest can be a great test-run for your items. If you pin images of your products, Pinterest analytics will tell you which of the pins are the most popular, essentially forecasting which of your products will be the most successful. On your analytics profile page, you can also see your 50 most repinned pins and your boards with the most repins. Pinterest also offers free marketing advice, providing tips on your analytics page based on your data from the analytics.

Pinterest is a growing social network and is extremely unique. Utilizing Pinterest’s sophisticated analytics tools can help you market your business by providing invaluable feedback about your audience and the things your audience is interested in. Looking at your Pinterest analytics and utilizing that information to alter your marketing strategy can make your business’s marketing campaign more successful. 

Written by Samantha Weisner of Rebecca Adele PR & Events

A Reflection at My Time at Rebecca Adele PR & Events...

As I approach the end of my internship and the fall semester of my senior year I am so thankful for this experience and all that it has taught me. As a fashion major with a minor in marketing, I have never had any experience in PR but I was excited to get some hands on experience in the industry.

I came into this internship not knowing what to expect and eager to learn more. I was thrown into the crazy life of PR and event planning as I began my experience with Rebecca Adele PR & Events. Starting daily tasks like writing social media plans for various clients, learning how to use social media management websites like Sprout Social and Schedugram, writing blog posts, as well as writing press releases, all quickly became a part of my day-to-day learning.

This internship has taught me so much, and I can’t even begin to explain how thankful I am that this was my first internship experience. I didn’t just learn things like the media writing and how to use the websites like Sprout, but I learned how to deal with clients, vendors, and customer service. I learned how to work in a professional environment and how to work with a team of people. I learned how to manage my time and how to delegate tasks in order to work efficiently and for the office to run smoothly. 

I particulary enjoyed getting to know clients, and learning what kind of content they wanted to see posted to their websites/social media, who they are trying to target, and other information needed to brand their companies successfully.

As well as all of the things I have learned through this experience, one of the biggest ones that I will take away from this are the friendships that I have made working here. Between the days in the office listening to country music or classic Disney songs, the to road tripping to Columbus for a craft show, I have can now call these girls that I worked with some of my good friends.

My favorite part of this internship was getting to learn and see first hand what it takes to run your own business and what goes into planning events like all the craft shows that I have worked throughout this semester. One of my daily tasks was to read and post artist statements from our craft show vendors to our social media. I got to see what kind of products the vendors would be making for the craft shows before we even went to the shows.

After graduation in May, I hope to move to New York City and work in marketing or PR for a fashion design label. No matter what path I choose to go, I know that I will be well prepared for a life in the professional industry. Becki has taught me so much and I am so glad that I had this experience with Rebecca Adele PR and Events!

Say What?! Facebook Newsfeed Algorithm Decreases to 2%

Is Facebook on it's way to become a thing of the past when it comes to promotion for small businesses and nonprofit organizations? 

Recently announced, Facebook has once again changed their algorithm to a mere 2%, which means that only 2% of the people liking a page will receive news and updates from that page. Just 2 years ago it was at 16%. I don’t know about you but when I “like” a page, I expect it to show up on my timeline! 

Facebook has been active for over a decade as a means of sharing and promoting and connecting and now this $212 Billion company is asking for business (both big and small), and non profit organizations to pay to boost their posts!

Facebook has completely taken this out of the hands of the consumer and made it virtually impossible for small businesses and nonprofits to reach all their clientele that they spend a lot of time building up, for what? So that 2% of the people can see it? That is unless of course you “boost” your post and pay to have a higher percentage of people see what you're sharing as a company.

So the question remains.. How does Facebook expect small businesses or start up companies or nonprofits to reach their fan base if they are preventing it? Facebook doesn’t even give the user an option to allow us to see all the pages that we like regardless of the algorithm! Sure there is the page interest list on the sidebar on the newsfeed page, but it sure doesn't look like any of those pages have been showing up, at least in my feed!

All-in-all this new 2% algorithm, defeats the whole purpose of having a Facebook page... that is, in my opinion. It just doesn't seem fair to alienate and aggravate active businesses on Facebook that have already worked so hard to get fans, and then tell them fans won't be seeing their content. Exceptions should be made to the algorithm because not every Facebook page is alike. If this 2% algorithm stays, “Find us on Facebook” will become obsolete.

The last time I checked, I clicked “like” on a company's page for a reason. This just doesn't seem like an ethical business tactic on Facebook's end. What are your thoughts? Sound off in the comments section below!

Written by Victoria Ripepi from Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Greek Life to Real Life, Pledging Your Way to Professional Success

I hear the stereotypes all the time; “so, do you like pay for your friends?” “Do you guys party all of the time?” Obviously my answer to both is “absolutely not!”  Shaking off all of the stereotypes and media depictions aside looking back on my years in being in a sorority, I realized I have learned more than I ever could have imagined. More than I ever thought when I pledged 2 years ago.  Yes of course being in a sorority is fun and exciting, but through all of that, us sorority women learn something along the way. Who knew that my sorority would help me with my future endeavors? Here is a quick list of some ways being in a sorority has prepared me for the real world after college:

    Rushing AKA Interviewing 101

You don’t think about it while you are doing it, but going through recruitment for a sorority is basically going on tons of interviews! You need to shine through all of the other women that this girl is going to talk to today, and show what an amazing of a person you are! Keeping eye contact, actively listening to what she has to say, and being able to keep a conversation flowing, are all aspects of interviewing for a job in the future. If you can’t speak to someone without being able to establish some kind of eye contact, an employer won’t think you are as qualified, skilled or trustworthy!

Chapter Meetings- What to Wear to Work
When you get into the real world, you are going to have to put aside that comfy sweatshirt and jeans when you have to go to work (unless you work for someone that’s cool like Becki!). Having to dress up every week for sorority business meetings, extended my wardrobe to include stylish and professional pieces that I can use at internships and a future job. Since most college students rely on jeans, t-shirts and yoga pants to go to class, having a professional wardrobe already in place is a time saver later on! 

Networking Opportunities

When you join a sorority, you are joining an organization that has thousands of members all across the country. I am a part of my sorority’s LinkedIn group, and I get emails every day with postings of different jobs and opportunities. The best part is that  I get to utilize these opportunities to further my career. Plus, if I ever need helping making a connection or learning about job opportunities in a new city, I know that there is a sister out there that can help me! 

I never knew the benefits I would get out of being in a sorority until I joined one! I will always recommend it to someone, not only because I have made amazing friends, but also I've learned it can help you on your path to becoming a successful career woman!

Written by Lauren Cafarell from Rebecca Adele PR & Events

From Graduate Student to PR Professional: The Internship That Took Me From Where I Was To Where I Am

Written by Sydney Arnett 

It seems like just yesterday that I was planning my perfect outfit the night before my first day as an intern at Rebecca Adele PR & Events…all bright-eyed and eager to learn the ins-and-outs of the PR industry. Now, as my internship is coming to an end, I am sad to be leaving Rebecca Adele, but thankful to be moving forward with insight, knowledge, memories, life-long friendships, and a strong foundation from which I can continue to build my career.

As I look back, it’s remarkable to think how much I've grown, both personally and professionally, during my time at Rebecca Adele. To be honest, I didn’t always know what I wanted to be when I grew up. For a while it was a veterinarian, then an actress, then a plastic surgeon, maybe even an interior designer, or perhaps the general manager of a hotel. Even as a graduate student, six months ago if you would have asked me what I wanted to do with my life, I probably wouldn’t have been able to give you a confident answer. But thanks to this internship, and the help of my boss, Becki, that is no longer the case.

During my internship at Rebecca Adele I was given the guidance, experiences, and tools to develop as a public relations professional. From writing press releases, to creating social media plans, to participating in client meetings, I did it all. And I worked side by side with my boss, who mentored me, and showed me first hand what it’s like to run a PR agency—something most interns are not likely to experience.

Today, I can say with absolute certainty that public relations is the career field for me. I may not know where I’ll end up, or in what city, but I do know that I am passionate about public relations, and excited to continue on with my career and help clients share their stories and grow their brands.

So, yes, I’ve certainly learned a lot over the past few months. And, as I reflect on my time as an intern, there are certain things I have learned that I will take with me forever.

1.   Relationships are everything—oh, and so is your attitude. Building and maintaining relationships in PR (or life) is crucial. And the quickest way to make or break a relationship? Your attitude—so keep it positive!    

2.   It’s about quality, not quantity. It’s better to have a few of the best people than a lot that are just okay. We have a small group of employees here at Rebecca Adele, but boy do we produce the results of a large-scale agency.

3.   You can never know everything about the PR industry, but you should certainly try. So read, research, and stay on top of the constantly evolving world of PR and its technologies.

4.   The best things happen when you step (or get shoved) out of your comfort zone.

5.   Social media is important, like, SUPER important. It’s easy to think that you know everything there is to know about social media, or think that anyone can do it and be good at it. But actually quite the contrary is true. So if you want to be invaluable to a company, know your social media.

6.   You’ve got to be “on” 24/7…so you better love your job. The PR world never stops, so it will make your life a whole lot more enjoyable if you are passionate about your work.

7.   When in doubt, ask. It’s good to be curious about the world around you, and asking questions is one of the best ways to learn. Be a sponge and soak up as much knowledge, insight, and information as you possibly can.

8.   Capitalize on your strengths. There are so many facets of PR, and it’s impossible to be great at every one of them. That’s okay though. Find one, two, or even three things that you are really good at, and do them better than anyone else. And in your down time (well, lets face it, you’re in PR so you probably don’t have any) work on improving your other skills.

9.   People will surprise you. People are more willing to help than you would think…you just have to ask. I’ve witnessed this several times during my internship at Rebecca Adele, and over and over I’ve been delighted to see how genuinely happy people are to help out a young professional. I admit, it can be intimidating sometimes to ask for help or advice, but it’s worth it. (And remember to ALWAYS thank the people who do offer you their help!).

10. Work hard play hard. PR is a highly demanding, high energy, fast-paced industry. It takes hard work to be successful and a lot of hours and dedication. But the harder you work, the closer you get and the more fun you have with the team of people around you!

Thanks Becki, for not only being a great boss, helpful co-worker, my personal networking guru, but also a wonderful friend. I couldn’t have asked for a better foundation and start to my career than with Rebecca Adele PR & Events.